Slicing machine



INVENTOR LESTER FERENCI 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. FERENCI SLICING' MACHINEFiled July 10, 1940 Aug. 18, 1942.

ATI'ORNEY Aug. 18, 1942. LQFERENCI SLICING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed July 10, 1940 INVENTOR LESTER FERENCI ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18,1942 sucmd MAcnmn Lester Ferenci, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to AmericanMachine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationFebruary 10, 1940, Serial No. 318,210

15 Claims.

This invention relates to band saw slicing machines, more particularlyto bread slicing machines of the type having two series of band sawsmounted on two separate sets of drums.

An object of the invention is to provide a slicing machine which issuitable for use in conjunction with a bread, wrapping machine. To thisend there is provided a pusher typeconveyor and acters of referenceindicate the same or like parts: Fig. 1 is a sectionalside elevation ofthe slicing machine arranged to deliver sliced leaves to the in-feedrunway of a wrapping machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine taken from line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

a delivery conveyor driven from the wrapping machine intimed relationfor pushing the loaves through the band saws and advancing them into theinfeed conveyor of the wrapping machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereinalternate slicing runs of the band saws are driven in oppositedirections.

- to prevent collapsing of the loaves during the slicing operation. Tothis endtwo series of bands are mounted upon separate sets of drums withthe bands of one series disposed within and between the bands of theother series and driven in opposite directions. A single runintermediate the drums of each series is twisted so that their I cuttingedges are in position to slice the oncoming loaves and the sliced loavesare delivered to the infeed conveyor of the wrapping machine which isarranged between the slicing and ineffective runs of the band saws. V g

Another object of the invention. isto drive the driving drums of eachseriesin directions such:

that the slicing runs will be pulled'taut by the driving drums. Thusirregularities inthe slices due to slicing with slack slicingruns-interspersed with taut slicing runs, as heretofore, will beavoided. r a

Still another object of the invention is to provide mechanism foradjusting the spacing of the slicing runs for the productionof variousslice thicknesses. To this end there may be used link chain sections onwhose pintles are mounted the band saw guides which are relatively movedto establish various uniform spacings of the slicing runs by expandingand contracting the chain sections. The ends of the chain sections areattached to oppositely movable members for effecting the desiredexpansion or contraction, and the links are normally contracted bymembersextending along the chain sections.

With -these and other objects-not specifically mentioned in view, theinvention consists. in certain constructions and combinationshereinafter fully described andthen specifically setforth in theappended claims. 1

g In the accompanying drawings which form a Fig. 3 is a plan view. of aportion of the machine taken from line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, taken from line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing therelation of the slic-' ing machine delivery conveyor and the in-feedrunway of a wrapping machine;

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale of the adjusting means for theband saw guides when used in conjunction with vertically disposed bandsaws;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional end view of a portion of Fig. 5 takenfrom line 6-8 of the 20 same; c

Fig. '7 is an enlarged'detail view taken from line 'I-l of Fig; 5,showing the mounting of the band saw guide members;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the adjusting means showing the link chain ina contracted position whereby the band saw courses are uniformly spacedto produce thinslices; and

Fig. 9 is a-detail view of the adjusting means 3-0 showing the linkchain-in an expanded position 1 whereby'the band saw courses areuniformly spaced'to produce thicker slices.

Referring to the drawings, the improved slicing machineiconsists of sideframes III and II which are held together by tie members l2, I3 and I4and U-shaped tie supports l5. frames l0 and ii support cross shafts I 6and II which are provided with pulleys i8 and I9, respectively, thenarrow pulleys I8, Fig. 3, being spaced on drive shafts l8 and driveaseries of belts 20 running over the idler pulley l9.

-'I'he shaft'li of, the slicing machine derives v motion from a drivenshaft 2l'of the wrapping machine W, Fig. 3, said shaft 2! being providedwith a sprocket 22 driving a chain 23 running over a sprocket 24 mountedonsh'aft IS. A number of spaced trip fingers'25- are also mounted onshaft l8, and tend to separate the leading. loaf L being advanced byconveyor belts 20 from the succeeding loaves. The fingers 25 encounterthe bottom of the war and lift it so as to enter upon an inclinedsupport plate 26, and thus be in the path of pusher arms 21 carried byendless conveyor chains 28 which advance the loaf to the slicing zone. Asupport plate 29,- which underlies part or this specification, and inwhich like char- 55 the upper loop of the conveyor belts 20, is pro-The.

vided with notches 30, and the plate 28 also has notches at 3I to permitpassage of the fingers 25.

A sprocket 32 mounted on shaft I8 drives a chain 33 which runs over asprocket 34 mounted on a stud 35 carried by a pedestal 38, the chain 33also driving a sprocket to be presently described, which imparts motionto a discharge conveyor. The stud 35 also supports a gear 31 which is inmesh with a gear 38 mounted on'a cross shaft 38 supported by pedestals38 and 40. Sprockets 4| mounted on shaft 39 drive the chains 28 overidler sprockets 42 which aretals 38 and 40.

A motor bracket 44, which is secured to a cross rod 45 carried by theside frames I and II, Fig. 1, supports a motor 48. The motor shaft 41 isequipped with a pulley 48 driving V-belts 49 running in grooves 50 of adrum I which drives the endless band saws 52 in a clockwise direction.The bands 52 run over an idler drum 53 which revolves on a shaft 54having eccentric trunnions supported in frames I0 and II. Thus byturning the shaft in its bearings the blades may be tensioned for propercutting action, or slackened when removing or mounting the same on thedrums 5| and 53.

The inner serie'sof band saws is driven from a motor 55 supported in thesame 'manner as motor 45 previously described. The shaft 56 of motor 55is equipped with a pulley 51' driving V-belts 58 running in groves 59 ofa drum 50 mounted on a shaft 5| supported by the side frames. The drum50 drives the band saws 52 which run over an idler drum 53 in acounter-clockwise direction. The drum 53 revolves on a shaft 84 havingeccentric trunnions supported in frames I0 and II. By turning the shaftin its bearings provision is made for proper tensioning of the bladesand also to permit the blades to be easily removed from or mounted onthe drums 60 and 63.

- To enable the mounting of the band saws about their respective drums,the frame I0 is equipped with detachable bearings 85, Fig. 2, whichsupport one end of the band saw drum shafts. The upper runs of the bandsaw blades areused for slicing and they' are twisted so that theircutting edges face the loaves, which are pushed through them on to adelivery conveyor 66, Figs. 1 and 4, which transports them to an in-feedconveyor A of the wrapping machine. The slicing regions of the blades 52and 82 are held in a vertical position by a set of relatively adjustableguides 81 engaging both the inner and outer series of band saws and asecond set of guide members 88 also engaging the inner and outer seriesof band saws. Both sets of members 81 and 58 may be mounted on a linkchain section for relative adjustment to produce various spacings of theband saws for different slice thicknesses, in a manner to be presentlydescribed. The guides 81, Fig. 1, are provided with inclined faces whichform a continuation of the support plate 26 and also bridge the gapbetween plate 26 and table 59 and support the advancing loaf.

The leaf having passed through the slicing runs is propelled on to atable of conveyor 88 where it rests momentarily until engaged by one ofthe spaced pusher bars 1I whose ends are secured to endless chains 12and 13 of the conveyor. The chain 33, previously mentioned, runs over asprocket 14, Figs. 1 and 4, mounted on a shaft 15. whereby motion isimparted to thesprockets and 11 which drive their respective chains 12and 13 over idler sprockets 18 and 19 mounted on a shaft 80. The shafts15 and 80 are supported in bearings of the side frames I0 and II.

The loaves are guided in their travel on table 10 by adjustably mountedbars 8| and 82 suitably mounted on the machine in a conventional mannerto engage the ends of the sliced loaves. The sliced loaves S advanced bythe conveyor 88 are delivered on to a support of the in-feed runway A,said support consisting of spaced bottom plates 83 and 84 which aresecured at one end to a bracket 85 mounted on rods 88 extending from thewrapping machine. An upright plate 81, suitably carried, forms astationary rear wall for the runway. The bracket 85 supports a shaft 88carrying two sprockets 89 which constitute one of the supports of theendless chains 90 having spaced flights 9 I, which pass through the gapbetween plates 83 and 84, and engage the sliced loaves received from theslicing machine, advancing them toward the wrapping station. Thisin-feed conveyor is intermittently driven by suitable means disclosed inPatent #2,l81,432.

Referring to Fig. 3, the adjusting means for the band saw guides of theslicing machine is shown, and provides means for producing variableuniform spacing of the band saw courses. Since thesamemeans is used foradjust the hands when arranged in a vertical p0 "as shown in Figs. 5, sand '1, like character onererence will be used to indicate like parts.

The adjusting device consists of spaced tie frames I 00 and IM securedto the side frames I0 and I I of the machine. Each of the tie frames isprovided with fixed bars I02 adapted to engage the rollers I03 of adouble roller chain I04 as seen in Fig. 7. The bars I02 are providedwith longitudinal grooves I05 to furnish clearance for the center andinner links I08 of the chains. Yieldable bars I01, which are actuated bymeans to be presently described, are provided to engage the rollers I08of the chain, said bars having a longitudinal groove I09a to'furnishclearance for the center links I05.

The end links of chains I04 are connected to blocks I0-1a: mounted onpintles I08 supported by the spaced cross bars I09 and H0, Figs. 5 and6. The bars I09 and H0, at their ends, support threaded blocks IIclamped in position by bolts II2, said blocks being mounted on the rightand left hand threaded portions II 3 and H4, respectively of thespindles H5 and II 8, whereby the chains I04 can be contracted orexpanded. Said spindles are free to revolve in the frames I0 and II, andspindle I I5 is provided at one end with a hand wheel II1 for turning itand its coacting spindle IIB by means of a chain 8 running over pulleysI I9 and I20 mounted at the end of their respective spindles.

The bars I 01 are held in engagement with the rollers I08 by springsI2I, fastened at one end to posts I22 carried by frame I0, and connectedat its other end to levers I23 turning on studs I24 in the frames I00and IN. Said frames also carry studs I25 on which are mounted arms I 25connecting to bars I01 to produce parallel movement thereof.

The projecting portions I30, Figs. 5and 7, of the chain pintles carryguides 61 and 88 for the two series of band saws 52 and 62. The outerseries of bands 52 are guided by alternate guides, and the inner seriesof bands 52 are disposed between the bands 52 and located in-theremaining guides. In this manner adjacent bands may be therebyeliminating the possibilities of collapsing the loaves during theslicing operation. With the chains H14 in a contracted position as shownin Fig. 8, the bands 52 and 82 are uniformly spaced to produce thinslices. On turning hand wheel H1 the chains I04 are expanded as shown inFig. 9 and thebands 52 and 62 are uniformly spaced to produce thickerslices.

It may be noted that due to the horizontal arrangement of the slicingruns a lesser height of the slicing machine is obtained and disposal ofthe crumbs is facilitated. Moreover, regardless of the width of theloaf, it will be stopped'by the abutment constituted by the front end ofthe plate 26 in the proper position to be elevated by the fingers 25 andadvanced on to the plate 26 at the proper time to be engaged by a pusher21. Since the shaft I6 is driven from the bread wrapping machine, thesliced loaves will be delivered between the flights 9| of the infeedconveyor in properly timed relation for any speed If desired, the crumbsmay be scraped oi! both series of ineffective band saw runs by adiagonally arranged crumb ploughs similar to the crumb plough I40 shownin Fig. 3, operating on the inner faces of the inefiective runs of theinner series of band saws.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slicing machine, the combination with an outer driving pulley,oi" an inner driving pulley of a diameter smaller than the outer drivingpulley, a set of guide pulleys, a series of endless band saws trainedover said outer pulley and one of said guide pulleys, a series ofendless band saws trained over the inner driving pulleys and runningover one said guide pulleys and dis-2 posed within the series 01 bandsaws trained over the outer pulleys and aligned with the spaces betweenthe outer band saws, members for twisting both. series of bands at oneside of the driving and guide pulleys into parallelism to form a slicingzone having slicing runs whose cutting edges face oncoming articles toslice the same, the inner drive,pulley being disposed adjacent one endof said slicing zone and'the, outer 'at which the bread wrapping machineis running.

drive pulley being disposed adjacent the other I end or said slicingzone, and means for driving said inner and outer drive pulleysinopposite directions to cause alternate slicing runs to travelinopposite directions, said means including driv-' ing members operatingto drive said driving pulle'y s in a direction which will pull taut theslicingrunsoi both series of band saws in said slicslicing m e, thecombination with Til rained over said outer pulley and one 01 said guidepulleys, a, series of endless band' s'aws* trained over the innerdriving pulley and oneof said guide pulleys'and disposed within theseries of band saws trained over'the outer pulleys and aligned with thespaces between the outer band saws, members for'twisting'both series ofbandsat one side of the driving andguide pulleys into parallelismthrough the slicing runs without contacting the runs at the other sideof said drive and guide pulleys, the inner drive pulley being disposedat the side of the oncoming articles remote from the outer drive pulley,and said means operating to drive the drive pulleys in oppositedirections to pull both series 01' the slicing runs taut through theoncoming articles, the runs at the latter side ofv the drive and guidepulleys extending behind the path of the articles through said slicingmeans.

A 3. In a slicing machine, the combination with an outer driving pulley,of an inner driving pulley of adiameter smaller than the outer drivinpulley, a set of guide pulleys, a series oi. endlessband saws trainedover said outer pulley and one of said guide pulleys, a series ofendless band saws trained over the inner driving pulley and one of saidguide pulleys and disposed within the series of bandsaws trained overthe outer pulleys and aligned with the spaces between the outer bandsaws, members for twisting both series 01' bands at one side of thedriving and guide pulleys into parallelism to form slicing runs whosecutting edges face oncoming articles to slice the same, means fordriving said inner and outer drive pulleys in opposite directions tocause alternate slicing runs'to travel in opposite directions, thediameters of said drive and guide pulley being great enough to permitthe articles to 'pass entirely through the slicing runs withoutcontacting the runs at the other side of said drive and guide pulleys,the runs at the latter side of. the drive and guide pulleys extendingbehind the path of the articles through said slicing runs, and aconveyor extending between the operative and ineffective runs of saidband saws and adapted to advance the sliced articles from between saidruns. I

4. In a slicing machine, the combination with an outer driving pulley,of an inner driving pulley of a diameter smaller than the outer drivingpulley, a set of guide pulleys, a series of endless band saws trainedover said outer pulley and one of said guide pulleys, a series ofendless band saws trained over the inner driving pulleys and disposedwithin the series of band saws trained over the outer, pulleys andaligned with the spaces between the outer band saws, members fortwisting both series of bands at one side of the driving and guidepulleys into parallelism to form slicing runs whose cutting edges faceoncoming articles to slice the same, means for driving said inner andouter drive pulleys in opposite directions to cause altematewslicingruns to travel in opposite directions, the

diameters of saiddrive and guide pulley being great enough to permit thearticles to pass entirely through the slicing runs without contactingthe runs at the otherv side ,of said drive and guide pulleys, a conveyorextending between the operative and ineffective runs of said band sawsand adapted to advance the sliced articles from between said runs, andmembers for feeding loaves sidewise through said slicing runs anddelivering it to said conveyor.

5. The combination with a drive pulley, of an idler pulley, a series ofendless band saws trained over said pulleys, members for twisting theband saws into position to provide parallel runs having cutting edgesfacing oncoming articles,

a link chain having pintles carrying said members, and means forexpanding and contracting the length of said chain to establish variousuniform spacings of said twisted runs, said means includingv a shafthaving oppositely threaded ends, threaded members mounted on saidoppositely threaded portions of said shaft and connected to the ends ofsaid chain, a stationary support extending along one side of said chain,and a yieldingly mounted support extending along the other side of saidchain and pressing it against said stationary support.

6.' The combination with a drive pulley, of an idler pulley, a series ofendless band saws trained over said pulleys, a pair of link chainshaving pintles, members on the pintles of each link chain engaging andguiding said bandsaws, and means for expanding and contracting said linkchains to establish various uniform spacings of the band saw runsengaged by said members for forming slices of various thick-.

nesscs, said means including a pair of shafts each having oppositelythreaded ends, threaded members mounted. on the oppositely threadedportions of each of said shafts and connected to the ends of one of saidchains, devices tending to contract said chain, a sprocket on eachshaft, and a sprocket chain running over said sprockets, whereby turningof one of said shafts will effect a simultaneous expansion of both ofsaid chains to establish various uniform spacings of the band saws.

7. The combination with a drive pulley, of an idler pulley, a series ofendless band saws trained over said pulleys, a pair of link chainshaving pintles, members on the pintles of each link chain engaging andguiding said band saws. and means for expanding and contracting saidlink chains to establish various uniform spacings of the.band saw runsengaged by said members for forming slices of various thicknesses, saidmeans including a pair of shafts each having oppositely threaded 4 ends,threaded members mounted on the oppositely threaded portions of each ofsaid shafts and connected to the ends of one of said chains, devicestending to contract said chain, a sprocket on each shaft, and a sprocketchain running over said sprockets, whereby turning of one of said shaftswill effect a simultaneous expansion of both of said chains to establishvarious uniform spacings of the band saws, each chain having asufficient number of pintles provided with guiding members to engage theoperative runs of the band saws.

8. In a slicing machine, the combination with a driving pulley, of anidler pulley, a series of endless band saws mounted on said pulleys, anabutment, a traveling conveyor adapted to advance a row of loavesagainst said abutment, continuously driven members for elevating eachloaf advanced against said abutment, whereby it will be advanced overthe latter, an endless chain driven from said members, and pushersmounted on said chain for advancing through said band saws successiveloaves advanced over said abutment.

9. In a slicing machine, the combination with a driving pulley, of anidler pulley, a series of endless band saws mounted on said pulleys, an

abutment, a traveling conveyor adapted to ad vance a row of loavesagainst said abutment, continuously driven members for elevating eachloaf advanced against said abutment, whereby it will be advanced overthe latter, an endless chain driven from said members, and pushersmounted on said chain for advancing through said band saws successiveloaves advanced over feed conveyor extending transversely of the loavesbeing advanced through said band saws, and a device arranged to receivethe sliced loaves advanced through the band saws and deliver them tosaidinfeed conveyor, said members being driven from a driven shaft ofthe wrapping machine, and said chain and device being driven from saidmembers.

10. In a slicing machine, the combination with a driving pulley, of anidler pulley, a series of endless band saws trained over said pulleys,members for twisting one run of each band saw at one side of andintermediate the drive and idler pulleysinto parallelism with theircutting edges facing oncoming articles to slice the same, the spacebetween said operative runs and the runs at the other side of saidpulleys being sufficient to admit an article to be sliced, a conveyorextending between said runs and arranged to receive the sliced articlesand convey them from between said runs, spaced members disposed betweensaid runs and arranged to engage the ends of the sliced articles forholding the sliced articles together as they leave the slicing runsuntil they are delivered to said conveyor, and means for pushing thearticles through said slicing runs to slice the same and delivering thesliced articles between said members, and mechanism for advancing thesliced articles between said members and on to said conveyor. I

11. In a slicing machine, the combination with a driving pulley, of anidler pulley, a series of endless band saws trained over said pulleys,members for twisting one run of each band saw at one side of andintermediate the drive and idler pulleys into parallelism with theircutting edges facing oncoming articles to slice the same,

the space between said operative runs and the runs at the other side ofsaid pulleys being suflicient to admit an article to be sliced, aconveyor extending between said runs and arranged to receive the slicedarticles and convey them from between said runs, devices between saidruns for holding the sliced articles together as they leave the slicingruns and delivering them tosaid "conveyor, and means for pushing theloaves through the slicing runs and delivering them to said devices.

12. In a bread slicing machine, the combination with a plurality offlexible endless slicer bands, pulleys for driving and supporting saidbands to provide a series of spaced operating runs adapted to sliceloaves of bread, and to provide a series of non-operating return runsspaced more than the width of a loaf of bread from the operating runs toadmit a loaf of bread between them, means for feeding loavestransversely in a path carrying them through the operating runs of saidbands to slice the same, and mechanism coacting with said feeding meansto admit the sliced loaves therefrom and feed the loaves lengthwisebetween said runs transversely of said path, said mechanism including aconveyor provided with spaced members coacting to grip the ends of thesliced loaves and hold the slices thereof together while advancing thesame lengthwise from between said runs to a bread wrapping machine.

13. In a slicing machine, the combination with an outer series of bandsaws, of a set of pulleys.

for driving and guiding said outer series of band saws, an inner seriesof band saws disposed said abutment, a bread wrapping machine inwithinthe outer band saws and aligned with the spaces between the outer bandsaws, a set being spaced sumciently from the slicing runs to admit aloaf, and means for advancing loaves through the space between said runsand through said operating runs.

14. In 'a slicing machine, the combination with a primary series ofendless band saws whose cutting edges are disposed in substantialalignment with each other, of primary set of spaced pulleys for guidingand driving saidprimary band saws, the band saw runs at one side of saidprimary pulleys being arranged in parallelism and constituting slicingruns, means for driving the primary band saws at equal speeds and in adirection which will pull their slicing runs taut, a secondary series orband saws, a secondary set of spaced pulleys for guiding and driving thesecondary band saws, the band saw runs at one side of said secondarypulleys constituting slicing runs which are interspersed between theprimary slicing runs and arranged in parallelism and alternatingrelation to the'primary slicing runs, and means for driving saidsecondary band saws at the same speed as said primary band saws and ina, direction which will pull taut the secondary slicing runs and movethe secondary slicing runs oppositely to the primary slicing runs.

15. In a slicing machine, the combination with two series of endlessband saws, of separate cylindrical pulleys for driving each series ofband saws, idler pulleys for guiding both series of band saws to provideslicing runs on each series of band saws, which are alternativelyinterspersed with the slicing runs of the other series to form a slicingzone longitudinally of the slicing runs, members for twisting saidslicing runs intermediate said driving and idler pulleys intoparallelism, the pulley for driving one series of bands being disposedadjacent one end of the slicing zone and the pulley for driving theother series of bands being disposed adjacent the other end'o! theslicing zone, and means for driving said driving pulleys in opposite'directions to cause alternate adjacent slicing runs to travel inopposite directions, said means including driving members operating todrive said driving pulleys in a'direction which will pull taut theslicing runs of both series 01 band saws in said slicing zone. 7

, LESTER FERENCI.

